The National Association of Realtors reported today that existing home sales jumped by 10.1 percent, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.1 million units.  That is 23.5 percent higher than the October 2008 figure of 4.9 million homes, and is the highest number of sales since February of 200…

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This week's issue of Barron's cover story is titled 10 Terrific Dividend Stocks.  It talks about how the market's recent drop has made it possible for investors to purchase "high quality dividend paying and dividend growing stocks" at a discount.

That got us thinking.  With money market yiel…

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For the third day in a row, major stock indices dropped.  The Dow was off by 0.1 percent to 10,318.  The S&P 500 dropped by 0.3 percent to 1,091.  And the Nasdaq declined by 0.5 percent to 2,146.

For the week, the Dow was up by 0.5 percent.  The S&P 500 broke…

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Everyone who watches hockey knows about Alex Ovechkin's celebration after scoring, where he leaps into the glass.  If you haven't seen it before, here it is.

The Labor Department reported today that state unemployment rates were "generally little changed or higher in October."  In 29 states and the District of Columbia, the unemployment rate increased.  On the positive side, 13 states saw a decline in their unemployment rate, and eight states sh/…

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In what can be viewed as a sign that the labor market is improving, the Labor Department reported today that initial unemployment claims were steady last week at 505,000.  Continuing claims decreased by 39,000 to 5.61 million.  The initial claims number is the lowest in ten months, showing…

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Investors got additional information to digest this morning, as the Commerce Department released information on new housing starts and the consumer price index.

Housing starts plunged by 10.6 percent in October, to a seasonally adjusted 529,000.  Not only is that figure much lower than the Septem…

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A report released today calls into question the actions taken by the New York Fed during the time that AIG was being bailed out by the government.  The Special Inspector General (SIG) of the TARP was asked by Congress to look into what the actions of the government with regard to/…

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Investors took today's release of positive retail sales numbers and pushed stocks to a 13 month high.  They focused on the news, and ignored a cautionary speech from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, who said that economic "headwinds" will slow economic expansion in the United States.  Bernanke ad…

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By now, if you're a football fan, you've seen this play.  Probably 1,000 times.

The Commerce Department reported today that retail sales increased by 1.4 percent in October.  The increase in sales was driven in large part by a rebound in the automotive sector, which saw a big drop in September due to the expiration of the cash for clunkers program.  The automotive sect…

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Investors got a shot of bad news yesterday, as the University of Michigan unexpectedly fell to a three month low of 66.  The index came in at 70.6 in October.  The consensus estimate for the index was for an increase to 71, with estimates ranging from 67.5 to 75.  By comparison,…

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Investors sent mutual funds focusing on U.S. stocks $6.97 billion in the week ending November 11 according to EPFR Global.  That is the most money that's flowed into U.S. stock mutual funds since December of 2008.  The money flowing into these funds accounted for a big chunk of the $10 bill/…

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In a sign that things may be getting better in two critical aspects of the economy, the number of initial unemployment claims filed dropped more than expected and foreclosures declined for the third month in a row.

The Labor Department reported that the number of initial unemployment claims filed drop… Read full post »

Confidence in the global economy slipped, according to a survey of over 1,500 professional investors surveyed by Bloomberg.  The cause?

Central banks around the world are starting to withdraw some of the extraordinary stimulus measures put in place in response to the financial crisis last year.

Th/…

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As you know, the only American automaker to not file for chapter 11 was Ford.  Ford, back when GM and Chrysler were asking for and getting a government bailout, only asked for loan guarantees.  They didn't get them, and as it turns out, they didn't need them.

Ford,…

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Trading any equity can be a double edged sword, but it can be even more so with options.  Options, as you know, are a derivative that gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to purchase or sell an underlying asset at a given price.

Options require those trading them to…

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After the surge in stocks we've seen since the March lows, some investors think the market has come too far, too fast.  Many have started to hedge their bets, and some are getting out of the market altogether.

Even while the market was rallying, investors only put $7.8 billion into stock mutual… Read full post »

Yesterday, we wrote about the debate over the "green power superhighway."  Today, we'll highlight some technologies that will help with reducing greenhouse gases regardless of whether that is built.

A company named FloDesign Wind Turbine has developed a compact wind turbine that is three times mo…

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As you know, one of the problems with building solar and wind projects is that the places where the wind blows and the sun shines are often far away from the places that need them.  While lots of wind blows on the Great Plains and lots of sun bakes desert in…

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Yesterday, good economic data pushed stocks higher, with the Dow closing above 10,000.  Today, the markets are likely to give up some of those gains as the news on the jobs front was worse than expected.

The Labor Department reported that employers shed 190,000 jobs in the month of October and th… Read full post »

After receiving good news on jobs, productivity, and retail sales, stocks climbed.  The Dow climbed back above the psychologically important 10,000 level.  Traders are optimistic as they await payroll data for the month of October, which will be released at before the markets open on Novemb…

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Investors got a triple shot of good economic news this morning.

The Labor Department reported that initial unemployment claims dropped by 20,000.  First time claims for unemployment benefits came in at 512,000 for the week ending October 31.  Continuing claims also dropped, falling by 68,000…

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So she made it official.  Carly Fiorina has decided that she wants to run against Barbara Boxer for the Senate.

Let me be clear here.  I am not really a fan of Barbara Boxer.  I think she's a showboat instead of a workhorse, and I prefer people who shut up, do… Read full post »

Investors were closely watching the Federal Reserve today, looking to see whether the statement accompanying the decision on interest rates contained a phrase about keeping interest rates exceptionally low for a while. 

They got what they wanted, as the Fed said "the Co… Read full post »